


Michael

by charlieharriss



Category: Original Work
Genre: Band, Based on a song, Fist Fights, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Suicide, on tour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-04 06:08:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18337721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charlieharriss/pseuds/charlieharriss
Summary: Based on the song Michael by Civilian.TW: Suicide, F-slur, violence.





	Michael

And so they were on the road. Their first ever tour. Ryan had never felt so excited in his life. He was screaming along to one of their songs playing on the radio, a wide grin playing on his lips. Dan, the other guy in the band, rolled his eyes playfully. They were on their way to the city were they were going to play their first show on the tour and it was a surprisingly long drive from were they were from.  
Once the excruciatingly small van pulled up on the side of the street, Dan was already half-asleep.  
“Hey…”  
Dan grunted at the noise interrupting his rest. “What?”  
“I’m gonna go out for a bit, stretch my legs, you wanna come?”  
“I’ll pass” Dan said and rolled over in his seat.  
“Fine. Just don’t get murdered.”  
“Ha. Ha.”

The city was bursting with life. There was music seeping on to the cobblestones of the roads outside the bars. The sound of laughter and dancing ringed in his ears as soon as he stepped foot on the street.  
Cigarette smoke and perfume found its way into Ryans unexpecting nose, but he didn’t mind. He was relieved to see some life after all those hours cooped up in the van.

He inhaled deeply and ran a hand through his hair.

Phone, wallet, keys.  
Okay.

After strolling around the area for a while, he decided to go in one of the bars to get a drink. He settled for a pint, and took a large sip while looking around.  
The main area was quite nice, there were a few plants and pictures here and there as well purple light bulbs hanging from the ceiling, casting a soft light over the high tables. However that wasn’t what had caught his eye.  
Standing across from him, at the far end of the room, was a young man. He couldn’t have been older than nineteen- or twenty years old, which somehow made him even more intriguing.  
He was wearing a crimson red blazer, with his tan chest exposed underneath it. He had black hair and dark eyes.  
He swallowed the beer which he realized had been sitting in his mouth the entire time. He must look like an idiot.  
The man caught his eye, a devilish grin stretching across his lips. It only lasted for a moment, however, before someone stepped into his field of vision, and the man disappeared.  
The previously low beat had now turned into a loud, obnoxious, EDM-type of song and he felt cramped where he stood, leaning against the wood of the bar. Ryan decided to step outside before he got a migraine. He chugged the remains of his beer and crossed the dancefloor, which was already packed with warm bodies moving in a heated rhythm. Someone came pushing into his shoulder, causing him to lunge forward in an attempt to regain his balance. Annoyed, he glared at the guy behind him, who was holding waving two hands in the air, his eyebrows raised as to say sorry.

Whatever.

The cool, fresh air tore through his lungs, erasing any previous feelings of claustrophobia.

“Hey”  
He spun around, only to find the boy in the velvet blazer. He was stood against the brick wall, cigarette between his lips and a strange glow in his ink-black eyes.

“Nice jacket” He said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.  
The other simply hummed, exhaling and dropping the still burning cigarette to the ground. “It’s vintage”  
He grinned. “Ryan.” He stuck out his hand.  
The other took it. “Michael.”  
Michaels hand was a lot smaller than his, and warmer as well.  
“Aren’t you a bit too young to be hanging around a place like this?”  
“What are you, my father?” He scoffed.  
“I guess not.”

He passed Ryan to go back into the building, awave of sweet-spicy smelling cologne followed him. It made him feel ever so slightly lightheaded.  
He was just about to follow him back inside when Michael stumbled backwards, landing on his elbows in the alley he’d just left.

He mumbled a quick “What the-” before reaching for Michael. Before he could get ahold of him however, three men stepped out from the building, fire in their eyes.  
It hit him that they must be the reason for Michaels now bleeding arms. He went into a defensive state almost instantly.  
“What the hell is your problem?” Ryan was quite tall and wasn’t afraid of a fight.

He took a step forward, coming between the group and Michael, who was now attempting to scramble up on to his feet again. The man had i pink line stretching across one of his cheeks, and a gold ring in his lip. He and bumped into him and as good as spat in his face.  
“None of your concern, princess”  
He moved his attention to Michael, behind his shoulder.  
“The faggot is gonna come with us” He smirked.  
“Not if I can help it” Ryan said, more to himself than anyone in particular.

He swung, hit and grabbed Michael by his wrist.  
Adrenalin pulsing through veins, they ran through the small side streets of the city. There were howls behind them, it felt as if they were being chased by wolves.

Once they came on to a more crowded street with some traffic and yellow lights, they slowed down.

After a few moments of heavy breathing, Ryan looked around.  
“Where do you live?”  
Michael let out a defeated chuckle. “Nowhere” He said, sliding down a building wall to sit down on the cold asphalt.  
“What do you-”  
Michael pulled his legs up to his chest, letting the bottom of his chin rest on his knee-caps.  
“Oh…” Ryan said quietly.  
He felt lost. There was something about him, about this boy, that he just couldn’t let go. He couldn’t just leave him here on the side of the street in the middle of the night.  
“Hey.. Come and stay with me?” He reached down to touch the other’s hand. Michael flinched at the contact, but didn’t pull away.  
“Why?” He didn’t look up.  
“Look, I’m not from here, I’m staying at a hotel” Ryan sighed. “I won’t hurt you, I promise”  
He was quiet for a bit.  
“That’s what they all say…”  
Before Ryan had any chance to react, Michael was up on his feet again, a sudden glint in his eyes. He lit up a cigarette, letting the toxic fall into his young body.

His eyes were ink-black.

“Come on.” He called over his shoulder.  
Ryan had to run to catch up to him. “You don’t even know which hotel it is.” He giggled.  
“I can guess” He raised one eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching.

 

They were on the balcony.

Michael always seemed to have something on the tip of his tongue, something he wanted to say, but never had the guts to.

He was standing next to Michael, who was looking out over the lights of the city, contrasting with the darkness of the night. Somewhere in the distance, a siren rang.  
Ryan looked over to him.  
“What are you thinking about?”  
He hesitated, running his hand through his dark hair.  
“Do you ever feel like there’s something wrong with you?”  
He didn’t meet Ryans worried eyes.  
“Like… You’ve been here for too long?”  
“There’s nothing wrong with you-”  
“You know that’s not what I mean.” he said quietly.

He exhaled, all of a sudden standing upright next to him.  
“Have you got any music?”  
“There’s just a CD-player” Ryan laughed.  
“But you’ve got CD’s! I saw some in your suitcase.”  
“But that’s just the back-up tracks-”  
“-Just play something, anything, please?”

The base started playing, the minor riff ringing out in the night. Ryan looked back at Michael, who was moving his head along with the beat. The drums came in and he gave Ryan a toothy grin, canines exposed.

“This is cool! You play in this band?!” Michael looked calmer than he had before.  
“Yeah..” He smiled. “Thanks”  
“Sing it for me?”  
“What- I can’t-”  
“Come on, aren’t you the lead singer?” He teased.  
Ryan stepped out onto the balcony, the cool breeze tugging lightly at his shirt.  
For some reason, he was nervous. His heart was beating loudly in his throat and he had a lump in the pit of his stomach.  
He ignored it, and started, just as he usually did. It sounded alright, and Michael looked pleased.  
The other had his eyes shut, a soft smile on his face. He stepped up, onto the grey cement railing, hands in the air.  
“Be careful Mi-”  
“I’m fine” He said and gave out a shout of celebration, as one does when someone scores a goal in football.  
By now, Ryan was worried. He’d caught a glimpse of Michael’s eye. There was something there that wasn’t right. He looked manic, like he’d completely lost it. It was frightening.  
Not taking his eye of the other, Ryan backed into the hotel room.  
He turned around, for just a single moment, to pause the CD.

Michael was gone.  
When he spun back around, the other was nowhere to be seen. The balcony was empty.  
Something dropped in Ryan’s stomach as the realisation came to him.

He had jumped.

 

 

 

Michael - Civilian

  
The curb descends to the street  
Where fifty men at least  
Are stopped by a flashing hand  
And slurring their speech  
Pedestrians and cops  
Will gladly shrug them off  
For every man is safe  
If he's white or he's straight

Pardoned sin makes one man grin  
And the rest of us pick up the pieces

The bro's are talking shit about the government  
The half baked thoughts of a desperate prince  
Raising your glass to clear your conscience  
You said what you said because you meant it

You could have known but wouldn't have cared  
What's it to you?  
You know life isn't fair

Michael plays the queen  
With married men discreetly  
Says, "Nothing good comes free"  
And he drops to his knees  
Until one night he was drugged  
By a client that he loved  
His sense of self dissolves  
And the rapist walks free  
By the time the empty palm  
Of the henchman's hand collapsed  
The pimp eclipsed the ceiling fan  
"I'm coming back. And that's just the tax.”

You could have known but wouldn't have cared  
What's it to you?  
You know life isn't fair at all

The young men were leaving  
The bar when they saw him  
Red dress, black eye, high heels  
They started howling, "Get fucked, faggot"  
And that's when they lost it  
You wouldn't believe what privilege costs


End file.
